The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Android Lollipop release continues to make progress in the weeks after its initial roll out but Samsung is still nowhere close to the finish line. With that in mind, we want to take a close look at the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update, its release, and give you an all-around look at what we think you need to know about the important update as we head into March.

In late January, several weeks after it started rolling out a Galaxy S5 Lollipop update, Samsung started rolling out a Galaxy Note 3 Android 5.0 Lollipop upgrade. The timing of the update came as a bit of a surprise because it beat the Galaxy Note 4 Lollipop update to the punch. The fact that Samsung pushed out Lollipop to the Galaxy Note 3 came as a surprise to no one.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Android 5.0 Lollipop update represents only the device’s second major upgrade since launch and it’s a big one. Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 Android 5.0 update delivers tons of new features, enhancements, fixes, and changes that make it one of the biggest and perhaps best Galaxy S4 updates of all time.

In the weeks since the initial release last month, we’ve seen tons of new developments. We’ve seen the Samsung Galaxy Note 34 Lollipop update make serious progress and we’ve even seen some details emerge for the United States. It’s still moving slowly and that means many Galaxy Note 3 users are curious about the current state of the roll out and its future. It can be a lot of digest, especially for those of you who don’t follow along on a daily basis.

Today, we want to breakdown everything we think you need to know about the Galaxy Note 3 Android 5.0 Lollipop release. This breakdown includes a look at the progress the update’s made, a glimpse at what’s to come in the future, a look at what we expect, and some advice that we’ve wanted to pass along to Galaxy Note 3 users for sometime.

If you’re at all interested in the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop upgrade process, this will be a great resource as the roll out moves ahead to other devices and regions.

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Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop Release Making Progress, Just Not A Ton

Samsung’s gradually starting to push the Galaxy Note 3 to more regions and more variants though the update remains missing in a vast majority of places around the world. We’ve seen some movement in the past two weeks especially for the SM-N9005, the international LTE version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. For whatever reason, Samsung’s focus has been on that model.

The Galaxy Note 3 LTE Android 5.0 Lollipop update has reached users in Poland, the United Kingdom, Hungary, Czech Republic, Germany, Australia, Italy, Switzerland, Bulgaria, Romania and the Netherlands. That’s a fairly big push for an update that’s only been rolling out since the tail end of January, or, about a month.

As for the SM-N900, the other major international variant, its made very little progress this month. It has rolled out in Russia, Kazakhstan, and the Ukraine but it hasn’t moved beyond that.

Samsung rarely announces details publicly so owners of the international variant are just going to have to remain patient while the company works behind the scenes to get things sped up. It typically takes a few weeks before we see updates pick up serious speed so we’re anticipating a major push during the month of March, assuming everything is going well in testing behind the scenes.

For reference, take a look at the Samsung Galaxy S5 Lollipop update. Its been rolling out since December and only recently has it started to gain a ton of steam in the U.S. and in markets around the world.

Most Carriers Silent

Often, we see international carriers confirm major Android updates weeks or even months ahead of schedule. This time around, we haven’t seen much of anything.

The usual suspects like SFR, Rogers, Optus, and Vodafone have stayed quiet about the Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update and its release. It’s uncharacteristic of them. We imagine that they might be holding back information until we get a little closer so as not to set unrealistic expectations. You’d be surprised how fast their comment sections fill up with complaints.

We also imagine that this means that most Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop updates are a ways out. We usually get confirmations about testing a week or two ahead of release and we haven’t seen anything pop up lately.

This roll out is going to take some time and we should see the roll out continue for much of 2015. You’ll need to remain patient, especially if you live in a smaller region of the world.

U.S. Galaxy S4 Lollipop Release

International carriers are usually the ones releasing information, not U.S. carriers. The Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop has been a backward in that regard because the only concrete information that we’ve been able to dig up about impending Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop releases is from U.S. carriers.

Before this week, the only U.S. Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop clue that we had was a sighting on Sprint’s website. The carrier’s UA Profile string confirmed the update for arrival. Sprint’s not the only U.S. carrier currently testing the Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update though.

T-Mobile’s Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update is currently in testing in its labs behind the scenes which means that we’re probably still a few days, or weeks, out from its public release. The fact that it’s in testing though is a great sign for T-Mobile users (it means it’s just one step away from release) and those who own the Galaxy Note 3 on other U.S. carriers. It means that they probably have it in for testing as well.

If we were you, we’d keep an eye out in March. It’s clear that we’re getting closer to the start of the U.S. roll out.

Please Prepare

If you own an SM-N900, SM-N9005, Galaxy Note 3 in the U.S., or you just want to get a head start, you should really start preparing your Galaxy Note 3 for the arrival of Android 5.0 Lollipop. We’ve put together a number of steps to take ahead of the Galaxy S5 Lollipop update and we suggest taking a look at them. They apply to the Galaxy Note 3 as well.

Galaxy Note 3 Release Date Tips

We’ve also put together a list of tips that will help you whenever Samsung or your carrier decides to push out the upgrade. Here are a few tips that could help those of you who are getting anxious about the roll out:

The exact Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop release time is extremely unpredictable though we usually see roll out start during the working week (Monday-Friday). If your roll out hasn’t started, you don’t have to worry about checking your phone on the weekend. It’s very rare to see Samsung or its carrier partners start a roll out on Saturday or Sunday.

Be patient. In some cases, Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop roll outs will take a few days to complete. Carriers in the U.S. like to roll out their updates in batches so that they can catch potential issues. AT&T is well known for this practice. So if you don’t see an update on day one, know that you’ll probably get it within a week. The roll outs typically don’t take much longer than that.

You don’t need to install on day one. Just because you get a prompt doesn’t mean that you need to replace Android 4.4 KitKat that same day. In fact, there are some reasons why you might not want to install on day one. Maybe you’re traveling. Maybe you’re scared of bugs. Whatever the case may be, it might be wise to give it a few days before installing. That way, you can gather feedback and make an informed decision.

Set aside time for the update. This is a huge upgrade for the Galaxy Note 3. We’re talking lots of MBs. It’s going to take time to install. It also has the potential to throw problems your way. You don’t want to be rushed so make sure you install it when you have time.

Rooted/Custom ROM users proceed with caution. While power users will likely have no issues making the upgrade, Galaxy Note 3 users that aren’t as involved in the community and users who have only recently rooted or installed custom software will need to be very careful. Consult the developer and your community before installing.

Fixes for Galaxy Note 3 Problems

Because the Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop update is extremely limited, we haven’t seen many complaints about issues. Users could be just keeping them to themselves or maybe we’re just not looking in the right places. That said, we fully expect Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop problems to arrive and for complaints about these issues to pick up once the software hits more users.

If you’re dealing with Galaxy Note 3 Lollipop problems or if you’re dealing with issues on Android 4.4 KitKat, you should note that we’ve put together a list of potential fixes for some of the more common Samsung Galaxy Note 3 problems.